Know any friends with air conditioning? It’s time to see if they have a spare room

Not having an in-home air conditioner is something Pacific Northwesterners take pride in — kind of like not owning an umbrella.

It’s like a badge of honor for us, separating those of us who call this place home from those who are just passing through.

But you know how there’s always a couple of days each summer that make you wish — just a little — that you could sleep and binge watch TV in air-conditioned bliss while everybody else is sweating out the heat in misery? Well, a handful of those days could be on the way.

The National Weather Service in Seattle issued a special weather statement Friday afternoon, warning that warmer than normal temperatures are expected throughout this weekend and into Monday.

According to the statement, highs on Saturday will reach the mid- to upper-80s across the interior, though they will be moderated slightly by marine air.

We won’t be so lucky on Sunday and Monday, when highs could reach the lows 90s across parts of the Puget Sound region, including western Whatcom County. Low temperatures will only drop into the 60s in the mornings, meaning there won’t be much relief for the area.

Friday the National Weather Service was predicting high temperatures in Bellingham to reach 79 degrees Saturday, 83 Sunday and 83 Monday, but 79 by Tuesday. Further inland, Lynden is predicted to reach 85 Saturday, 89 Sunday and 90 Monday before cooling to 84 on Tuesday.

Though it will be warm in Bellingham, it’s unlikely we will approach any records that, according to the National Weather Service, stand at 90 for July 28 (2009), 96 for July 28 (2009 — the highest temperature recorded at Bellingham International Airport) and 93 for July 30 (1965). The normal high for all three dates is 73 degrees.

Environment Canada, which also issued a heat warning, reminded people to take precautions to protect themselves from the heat, including:

▪ Staying hydrated by drinking cold beverages, preferably water.

▪ Spending time in an air-conditioned facility for at least several hours every day.

▪ Avoiding sunburn by staying in the shade and using sunscreen with SPF 30 or more.

▪ Never leaving people or pets in a parked car.

This story was originally published July 27, 2018 at 7:22 PM.